Orioles third-base coach DeMarlo Hale interviews with Blue Jays

Orioles third-base coach DeMarlo Hale has been a hot name this offseason and now is a candidate to become Toronto's bench coach.

Orioles third-base coach DeMarlo Hale has been a hot name this offseason and now is a candidate to become Toronto's bench coach. (Gene Sweeney Jr., Baltimore Sun)

Eduardo A. EncinaThe Baltimore Sun

Orioles third-base coach DeMarlo Hale, one of two coaches the team has yet to resign, has interviewed for the Toronto Blue Jays bench coach job, an industry source has confirmed.

Ending a tenuous search for a manager to replace John Farrell, who left to become the Red Sox's new manager, the Blue Jays hired John Gibbons, who managed Toronto from 2004-'08. He was introduced to the media on Tuesday morning.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter had expressed concern that other teams could woo Hale, who also served as the team's infield coach, with the offer of a bench coaching job.

Hale was bench coach on new Indians manager Terry Francona's staff in Boston and worked alongside Farrell, formerly the Red Sox pitching coach, under Francona.

But it is Toronto, the big-money spenders of the early offseason, who are coveting Hale, who interviewed with the Jays on Monday, according to the source.

Since he is not currently under contract with the Orioles, the Blue Jays did not need permission to speak with Hale.

The loss of Hale would be a significant hit to the Orioles. He's a respected baseball man who was considered for managerial jobs, but has yet to get one. Hale is also one of the Showalter's more trusted resources when is comes to studying opponents' tendencies.

Hale and hitting coach Jim Presley are the only remaining unsigned coaches, and Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said Monday night he was optimistic the signings would be completed by the end of the week.

FOXsports.com's Ken Rosenthal was the first to report Hale interviewing with Toronto.